We’re millennials — otherwise dubbed “generation screwed.” If you’ve been dodging the shots fired between the old and the young, you likely already know a lot about us. We’re lazy “digital natives” with an unapologetic entitlement complex that fools us into thinking we can start an internship on Monday and be executive-bound by Friday.

[np_storybar title=”Tasha Kheiriddin: Cry me a river, millennials” link=”http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/13/tasha-kheiriddin-cry-me-a-river-millennials/”%5DDon’t trust anyone over 65! A new study by a group called Generation Squeeze has uncovered a supposedly shocking statistic: Our governments spend $12,000 on every Canadian under 45, but $45,000 on every retiree. At first blush, this doesn’t seem that strange, due to the pension benefits and higher health-care costs paid for seniors. But apparently, this difference constitutes a terrible inequity which is ruining the lives of thousands of younger Canadians.

According to Gen Squeeze`s website, “This is NOT a “good deal… Still, our generation is doing all it can to adapt. To compete for better employment, we squeeze in YEARS more of education and tuition. To buy a place, we accept jobs or contracts that require us to work YEARS more to save a down payment. And for many, this means we wait YEARS longer to move out of our parents’ homes, or to establish our financial independence. WORK and POSTPONEMENT are our coping mechanisms.”

Here’s our clarion call to old and young alike: Let’s join forces and cast away this clash of generations that is stoking indignation and misunderstanding in the workplace. Let’s pave a new way forward together.

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1994. More than 12 million strong and representing over one-third of Canada’s population, we are the largest demographic cohort to follow the baby boomers and the fastest-growing employee segment in the labour market.

Despite the fact that we are the most educated generation in history, youth unemployment in Canada reached 15.2% during the recent economic downturn — the highest level recorded in two decades. The barista whipping up your half-sweet, no foam, non-fat Green Tea Matcha? They could be the one in four young workers with a university education who, at last count, was labouring in a job for which they are overqualified.

We were raised with the fable that university is the ticket to success. Many of us bowed to it, an we’re now serving coffee

Millennials were raised with the fable that university is the ticket to success, and many of us bowed to it. Now, fresh out of school and brimming with possibility, we’re scorned for having any hopes of a middle-class future.

But first, let’s go back to the beginning and examine the origins of this intensifying generational divide and its impact on the way in which millennials have been groomed for the modern workforce.

We were raised by a trailblazing baby boomer generation — the first that benefited from widespread access to higher education, which became attainable for middle-class men and, importantly, women. It was a transformational age that impacted baby boomers’ worldview and expectations for the future.

So when the boomers settled down to raise their children, their educational and professional expectations were boundless. Add to that, we came of age in a golden era when the North American economy was thriving and the technological revolution was beginning to transform virtually every aspect of our lives.

SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

The common refrain was unmistakable: If you follow your passion and work hard, success will be yours. Interestingly, “follow your passion” is a catchphrase that only found its way into popular discourse in the last 20 years, according to Google’s Ngram Viewer, a tool that charts the frequencies of words over a period of time. The same tool shows that the phrase “a secure career” has gone out of style just as the phrase “a fulfilling career” is off the charts.

Naturally, we thought: What could possibly go wrong if we earned a couple degrees, busted a gut studying and “followed our passion”?

As it turns out, a whole lot.

This seismic shift in expectations placed on millennials, coupled with new economic realities, has reconfigured the modern workforce and our place within it.

We are a byproduct of the broader tectonic shifts — economic, political and technological — happening right under our feet. Whereas our parents grew up in a jobs economy, our reality in today’s knowledge-based economy is far more precarious.

The challenges millennials confront in the constantly evolving labour market must be analyzed through this lens.

You have no doubt heard the countless stereotypes bandied about the workplace: prima donnas coddled by helicopter parents calling managers to complain about performance reviews; lazy narcissists resistant to criticism, but desperate for validation; and unrealistic expectations for pay and promotion.

In other words, we’re spoiled brats.

And while some millennials fit this unflattering caricature, our experiences in the workforce suggest a dramatically different narrative.

A large swath of millennials graduated from college and university in recent years with degrees and unbridled optimism. But once those diplomas were framed and hung, we faced down an exceptionally difficult labour market, characterized by high youth unemployment and rampant underemployment.

We have witnessed friends, peers and colleagues dig in their heels and work even harder in an effort to succeed amidst this ominous backdrop.

Millennials are muddling along, from unpaid internship to dead-end contract, giving the impression of a feckless generation.

The new world of work calls for measures that we concede can, on occasion, be perceived as pugnacious. If that brushes some the wrong way, so be it.

We have focused on what makes millennials different from baby boomers. But, if we are going to work together, we must ditch the doom and gloom to talk up our likenesses, too.

The fact is millennials aren’t that different from baby boomers in the workplace.

Contrary to popular opinion that millennials expect lavish rewards for exerting modest effort, 84% surveyed in a recent poll agreed they must work hard in order to succeed; and although three in 10 millennials expect a promotion in the next two years, these expectations might not be unreasonable for this employee segment, which tends to occupy more junior roles.

More to the point, millennials list performance-based recognition and promotions as a priority at the same rate as baby boomers and they cite fairness, transparency and consistency as the top three attributes they want in a boss. Someone who “recognizes my accomplishments,” meanwhile, comes in at only sixth place.

Like it or not, business needs to change the way it engages millennial talent to transform it into high-performing employees or risk getting left behind

Like baby boomers, nine out of 10 millennials want a secure job and financial stability, they value life outside the workplace and many plan on becoming parents some day.

What does this mean for employers who are grappling to crack the enigma that is millennials? In true millennial fashion, here are our top three takeaways for employers:

1 Give millennials fulfilling development opportunities, including large, visible projects and assignments that will allow them to learn and grow. In a recent poll, almost two-thirds of millennials said they would rather make $40,000 a year at a job they love than $100,000 a year at a job they think is boring.

2 Remunerate millennials at competitive rates to attract, engage and retain top talent. When recruiting, be open to hiring on potential, not just experience.

3 Forget work-life balance. This implies separation. But, for millennials, it’s about blending. Used to working anywhere, everywhere and any time of day or night on their laptops, tablets and smartphones, millennials aren’t satisfied punching in at 9:00 and out at 5:00, Monday through Friday. Instead, offer millennials flexible work arrangements so they can balance their professional responsibilities with their personal commitments in a meaningful way.

Contrary to popular opinion that millennials expect lavish rewards for exerting modest effort, 84% surveyed in a recent poll agreed they must work hard in order to succeed

Integrating any new generation into the workplace is challenging. Millennials are no exception.

We are entering the workforce in droves while baby boomers are retiring. By 2030, millennials will make up roughly 75% of the workforce, and the last of the boomers will be leaving the labour market, while the oldest millennials — just shy of 50 — will be entering leadership roles.

Like it or not, business needs to change the way it engages millennial talent to transform it into high-performing employees or risk getting left behind.

Three years after graduating from the University of Toronto, we have been fortunate to gain a foothold in the 21st-century workforce, but it hasn’t been easy — and we certainly don’t plan on resting on our laurels anytime soon.

National Post

Andrew Perez, 28, graduated from the University of Toronto with a master of public policy in 2012. He currently works in the financial services industry in Toronto. Ashley Pereira, 26, graduated from the University of Toronto with a master of global affairs in 2012. She currently works in the telecommunications industry in Toronto.